Lookout Driver Objects - Custom INI File Settings

Overview

National Instruments Lookout and the Industrial Automation OPC Servers (also known as Lookout Protocol Drivers) have numerous drivers for PLCs and other devices. These drivers are configured in Lookout or the IA OPC Servers software by choosing Object»Create or Object»Modify. Most of the options necessary to use these drivers are available through the menu options; however, other driver settings can be made through .ini file settings. These settings are typically for debugging purposes or for advanced uses. This article describes the possible .ini file settings for each driver.

Please Note: National Instruments does not recommend applying these INI settings for any driver. These settings should only be used if your device requires these settings. Do not use these settings if your driver operates properly without these configurations. Carefully review these INI settings and test the operation of the device before applying them permanently.

1. General Rules for Applying object.ini Settings For Driver Objects

Most drivers follow some general rules for object.ini settings.

Filename: Normal driver object configuration is stored either internally or in an object.ini file. If the normal configuration does not create an object.ini file, it is optional. If you have an object.ini file, make sure that you distribute it with your application.

Filelocation: When the object.ini file is used, it should be located in the same directory as the object.cbx file. Usually, that's the Lookout directory.

Sectionname: In the object.ini file you specify the object parameters (ini key values) either globally for all objects in an ini section called [all], or specifically for an object with [ObjectName] as you named it in Lookout or IA OPC Servers (such as [Modbus1], as shown in the Modbus.ini File Settings Example below).

Keyname: The object parameter is defined by its keyname and its value. The value could be numeric, string, or Boolean. Most drivers use either numeric or string parameters.

Apply: Whenever you change the object.ini file manually, you must restart Lookout or IA OPC Servers to apply the new settings for the driver object.

2. General Description of Some object.ini Settings For Some Drivers

Some drivers have unique object parameters. Here is a list:

UpdateOutputs specifies how many poll requests pass before the driver rewrites all outputs to the device. For example, if UpdateOuptuts equals 10, then every tenth time the Modbus object receives a poll request, it writes all output values to the device. This ensures that the device is synchronized with Lookout. The default value is 100.

RefreshOutputs specifies whether or not the driver regularly rewrites all outputs every UpdateOuptuts poll requests. If RefreshOuptuts is equal to 1 (the default value), the driver output rewrite function is turned on. If RefreshOuptuts is equal to 0 (zero), the driver output rewrite function is turned off; no rewriting of output values occurs except when they change.Note: Most driver objects always write all outputs whenever they first start, and whenever they recover from a communication failure.

DiagnosticFile or DiagnosticPath specifies a filename (including full path) or just the path to a file for a logfile of a non-serial port communication (for example, Ethernet) between Lookout and the device for troubleshooting. For example, DiagnosticPath=c:\temp\diag.txt. Refer to the table below for more details about each object.

Turns on diagnostic recording functions in S5-AS511 driver. When activated, this option logs diagnostic information to the s5as511.dai file in the Lookout directory. =0 diagnostics are off (default) =1 diagnostics are on

s7_hmi.cbx2

s7_hmi.ini

[COMx] x=1..

MPIBaud=Auto

Specifies the speed at which the MPI Network is operating. These selections are possible. "187.5K", "Auto". For example:[COM2] MPIBaud=Auto HighestMPI=68 PanelMPI=34

s7_hmi.ini

[COMx] x=1..

HighestMPI=31

The highest possible MPI address for any device on the network. The range for this setting is from 0 to 126; the default is 31.

s7_hmi.ini

[COMx] x=1..

PanelMPI=

The MPI address assigned to the hardware adapter that is being used to talk to the network. The range for this setting is from 0 to the HighestMPI setting.

siemens.cbx

siemens.ini

[objname]

InitTimeout=2

Sets the time that the application association will lock out other block's calls to funcs like tf_receive and tf_send; 1..10 seconds. For example:[PLC1] InitTimeout=3

Sets to refresh all outputs every UpdateOutputs polls (=0 disables to refresh all outputs).

lookout.ini

[objname]

ConfirmPoll=0

Sets to do a confirm poll, in addition it will skip doing the poll before the write.

tiway.ini

[PCAcardx] x=1..4

BaseAddress=

Sets base address for the cards can be set anywhere from 0x8000 to 0xFF00 (DOS area: 0xA000..0xEF00) NOTE: BaseAddress and Irq are not required to be set in .ini because the driver searches automatically for it. However, if you set it in the .ini, the object uses those settings. It assumes that PCAcard1 has the lowest base address and so on.

tiway.ini

[PCAcardx] x=1..4

Irq=

Sets IRQ for the PC Adapter cards and can be anywhere from 1..15 (0=No IRQ). NOTE: BaseAddress and Irq are not required to be set in .ini because the driver searches automatically for it. However, if you set it in the .ini, the object uses those settings.

0: only echo a cursor value if the cell the cursor is pointing to does not have a connection to it. 1: no echoes (default)

lookout .ini

[LocalTable] /[objname]

PokeAllCells =0

Sets to poke all cells. This setting exists to work around a possible bug in DDE. If in CF_TEXT mode (must be to work with Excel), you need to be sending the whole table in each DDE message. But Lookout does not, so this function pokes every cell instead of just the one that changed. PokeAllCells gets called instead of PokeCell if you have the .ini setting PokeAllCells=1.

for all old 3.8 .cbx

lookout .ini

[System]

ShowObsolete =1

Shows obsolete .cbx file in the Object Explorer (for example, nidaq.cbx and other 3.8 objects). Note: National Instruments recommends that you no longer use the old Lookout 3.8 objects.

1 Lookout 5.1 or later is required for this setting.2 You can find more information about this option in the Lookout Help.3 Potentially not supported by third-party devices.